Drabbles
by Romania21
Summary: AU drabbles with Zutara. Zuko and Katara dated in high school, but broke up so Katara could pursue psychology in college. Now, Zuko keeps popping up in Katara's life just to prove they are meant to be.
1. Future Without You

He ran up to her breathlessly. "Hello, it's good to see you after all these years."

She looked at him puzzled. "H-hi…"

He tilted his head. "You do not remember me?"  
"No, I do. It's just, I haven't seen you in so long, and it's odd. What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you, and I was around…"

"Ah, I see."

"How have you been?"

"Um, well. I've just been accepted into a clinical psychology Ph.D. program."

"Wow, that's mighty impressive."

"Thank you."

"So, um, did you wanna get a coffee or something?"

"Katara?"

The girl turned to a door where a man was standing half inside a room labeled a research lab.

"So-Oniisan…yeah?"

The man tilted his head at her. "Um, meeting's about to start. Dr. Panna asked about you."

"Right! I'll be right there."

The girl turned to the guy next to her. "Um, I have to go. But, um, coffee sounds great."

"Yeah, sure."

She turned to go, but he grabbed her by the arm. Pulling her close, he pressed his lips to hers. When he released her, she stumbled back and looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"Why?" Before he could explain, she shook her head and walked off towards the man at the door. She walked in under his arm as he held the door open for her, and he patted her back. Turning to the boy in the hallway he said, "If you're who I think you are, that was a mistake. She almost gave you a chance too." The man turned and closed the door, leaving the boy alone in the hallway.

"Goodbye, Tara," Zuko said as he walked down the hallway, through the double doors and down the stairs. Tears were coming down his face as he thought about the girl who wouldn't come back to him, the girl that he'd always loved, even when he was trying so hard not to feel anything. The girl that haunted his dreams and his drunken hallucinations; the girl that he wished he'd never let go. It took him all he had not to run upstairs and pound on the door, begging the girl to come back. And then her sentence echoed in his head. "I've just been accepted into a clinical psychology Ph.D. program." Ph.D., he always knew his girl was smart. He saw her letting herself be held back for him, because she loved him. He wasn't worth it. He was messed up. He kissed her at the wrong times, he left her because he was scared, and he got drunk constantly. And here she was, getting herself accepted to a Ph.D. program. And she was a part of a research lab, for the sign on the door hadn't gone unnoticed. He tried hard to remember her age; she was barely 22, young for someone so successful. No, it was good he'd screwed up and been sent away. Maybe she'll find herself a Ph.D. guy as well. She was worth it.

As he left the building, four floors upstairs, the girl sat there amongst her colleagues and discussed participants. The man she referred to as her older brother sat to her left and tried to make her laugh, for he could still see the tears she was forcing back. Yet she sat there, solid and strong, discussing suspicious participants and cracking jokes. He admired her strength and wondered if she'd ever be free of the guy who rendered her tearful with a single kiss.

As she sat there being as part of the world as she could, she thought about the guy who left her lips pulsating. The power of the kiss rendered her speechless and made her core ache. But she couldn't go back, she wouldn't go back. She had her acceptance email to remind her of that. After the meeting, Sokka asked her if she could stay after to talk for a bit. She smiled and nodded, thinking it had to do with the study. She was blindsided when he asked her who the man in the hallway had been.

"My ex."

"I see. Are you alright?"

"No, and it's amazing how even after all these years, he still has the power of my heart. I always thought one day I'd be free from him, but it looks like I'm only as free as he is far from me. How is that fair?"

"It isn't, but you know something? I think you freed yourself today when you walked away from him."

She shook her head. "No, I didn't. I walked away because I didn't want you to see me with a man down my throat. I walked away because you have a certain view of me, and I intend to keep it that way. I walked away because if I hadn't, I wouldn't have been able to look you in the eye. I walked away for extrinsic motivations, not intrinsic. Freedom is intrinsic, and I'm not that. I'm not that at all."

"Even your very explanation is psychologically based. This is where you need to be, and you know that. Your desires and your goals are intrinsic, and if one intrinsic goal is what keeps you from going back to him, then you are free."

She smiles at him. "You do realize you just influenced my own self-worth?"

"Then why do we consider it 'self'-worth?"

"For the very reason why you consider my extrinsic motivation for staying away from him as intrinsic."

"Because we're psychologists and that's how we roll?"  
"Yeah," she smiles again, "Because we're psychologists."

And with that truth, she was able to smile for real, all the way up to her eyes. Sokka felt a sense of possessive pride. She was an amazing surrogate little sister, and when she graduated, he was going to struggle with finding a new undergrad to bond to. Then again, he wasn't sure he wanted to. He didn't even want a first little sister undergrad, but damn her if she didn't find a way to worm herself into his heart. This girl didn't need to be worried after, he knew she was going to be the best in her field; he truly felt she worried over nothing. Until today, when he saw the impact a single man had on her. If Sokka hadn't been a religious man, he would have found a way to end the influence the man had on her life, as it was, he had to make sure she made it to Wisconsin, _without_ the man in the hallway. Because try as he might not to fall for a sisterly undergrad, he had, and she would always be his little undergrad, even when she had a Ph.D. and they demanded each other to refer to them as Dr., just as he would be her older brother, she would be his little sister.


	2. Nothing Will Hurt You

She walked into the lab and saw him lounging in the professor's chair with his feet propped up on the table.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," she growled in his direction.

His eyes lit up at the sight of her. "Ah! She exists. How are you, lovely?"

"What are you doing in my lab?"

"Now, now ma cherrie, is that anyway to speak to your fiancé?"

She growled again. "You are _not_ my fiancé, our multiple break ups made that pretty clear. Now, what are you doing here?"

Zuko refused to answer, a smile playing at his lips.

Katara was glad no one else was here. Sokka was at his meeting with Dr. Panna, Haru was teaching a class, Aang was never here, and all the undergrads were in a test review for the exam the next day. Katara, being the only one to have already taken the research class was the only undergrad free at that moment. Free to interrogate her ex who was currently getting dirt on the table. She walked over to her ex and knocked his feet off the table, his combat boots hitting the floor with a dull thunk.

"You should get up before the meeting starts, that's Dr. Panna's chair."

She proceeded to walk past him and into the first testing room. If he wasn't going to answer her, then fine, she wouldn't allow him to bring her into his endless loop again. Katara was a serious researcher, in the middle of applying for graduate schools; she wouldn't allow him to distract her. She tensed when she felt him really close to her, his six foot three presence filling the whole room behind her.

"So this is a testing room," he said right next to her ear. She jumped slightly and his arms wrapped around her protectively. Katara fought the urge to fall into his warm familiar arms, and instead pulled away from him towards the computer.

"Yes it is. I'd tell you how to use it except I'm still not sure what you are doing here or who authorized your entry."

"Relax, P-Money will tell you all about it at this afternoon's meeting."

"'P-Money?!' No, her name is Dr. Panna. You _will_ respect her."

"Chill, she and I are tight. She calls me Z-Dawg and everything."

Katara rolled her eyes. "That's right, your juvenile 'gangster' name. Absolutely ridiculous."

Zuko trapped her against the wall with his body, not quite touching, but close enough for her to feel his heat radiating from her. "You thought it was funny the first time you heard it." He looked into her eyes underneath his long lashes, lashes he knew to be her weakness.

Katara gasped and choked slightly. "Please, I'm asking you nicely, to let me by."

Zuko moved back, allowing her to move away from him. She practically fled the testing room and sat at a chair at the table just as a man entered the lab.

"Hey, Katara."

"Hey, Sokka. Oh, I printed off the debriefing notes you sent me, I'm missing 78 and 89 though."

"Right, I was discussing them with Dr. Panna. Let me add the suspicion codes and I'll send them your way."

"Awesome," she looked at her phone. "If you can do it in the next ten minutes, I can have them printed before the meeting. Oh, and if you wanted to print off the schedule, I can grab it on my way down to the printers."

"Are you using your printing allowance for this?"

"I told you not worry about how I'm taking care of this, did I not?"

Sokka and Katara looked at each other for a long minute, Zuko watching the exchange interested.

Finally Sokka turned away and shook his head. "Katara, if you're risking things or being charged for things…" he trailed off.

"Sokka, you're busy running around trying to get things taken care of, you're also trying to find a less populated place to accomplish everything you need to, I can handle some extra responsibility. Don't feel bad. I'm volunteering for this; you're not stressing me out. Okay?"

"Fine, but don't say I never tried to make sure you were taken care of too."

Katara smiled, "Of course not. You really listen to me, that's more than I could say for the last person I worked under."

"Yeah, at least when I speak of you as my slave, it's as a joke. Kay, they're sent. I just said 'Kay' didn't I? Dammit!"

Katara was laughing hysterically as she grabbed her keys and walked out of the lab. Zuko followed her, unsure of the inside joke he just missed.

"Ah! What are you doing? Are you just following me places?"

"No, believe me, there's a reason why I'm doing this."

"That's what I'm afraid of. " But she allowed him to follow her.

While they walked, he stared at her profile. Her skin tone was lighter than he remembered it, her hair much longer than it had been before, but everything else about her was exactly how he remembered. She smelled of rain and delight, and she wore a perfume that reminded him of encounters in his car and school hallways, back when they couldn't get enough of each other. She walked with a light bounce, a symbol of her inner happiness. People from across the building would call her name and smile at her, and would smile and wave back. Her smile hadn't changed; it was as bright and joyful as he remembered. Her eyes would light up, her deep blue eyes that he couldn't help but get lost in. Being away from this girl for years had done nothing to his attraction or devotion to her. He wondered if she felt the same way, and then he remembered her physical reaction in the testing room. She was definitely still attracted, even if she refused to admit it.

As they made their way to the psychology office, a professor walked out and greeted her.

"Good afternoon, Katara. How are you?"

"I'm great, Dr. Shu, just picking up some printing for Dr. Panna's lab."

"Oh that's right, you are in her lab. You will have an amazing letter of recommendation from her."  
"Thank you, I hope so. I'm in the process of looking for another professor who knows me well enough to write one."

"Well, you are the office assistant. That gives you access to several other professors to ask, including the head of the department. I hear his letters are always taken seriously."

Katara smiled. "Do you think the head would really write a letter for me? That would be amazing."

"You know, I heard he can be kind of mean, but I think you're rather charming. He would probably say yes. And I could always put in a good word for you, you know." He winked at her then, told her to have a nice day and to think about asking the head for a letter before continuing on his way.

Katara waited until Dr. Shu walked around the corner before turning to Zuko with the biggest smile on her face. "Ohmygosh ohmygosh!" She started jumping ecstatically. Zuko couldn't even ask her why she was so excited, his chest was too tight from the emotion of seeing her so happy.

Katara got herself under control and then entered the office, Zuko trailing her. She picked up the printing and they left the office. As they walked up the stairs – Katara more running – Zuko watched her glow, and wondered why he ever left this girl.

Katara practically burst through the lab room and ran to Sokka, where she stood bouncing on the balls of her feet until Sokka finished typing and turned to look at her as he pulled his ear bud out of his ear.

"What," Sokka questioned, placing emphasis on the 'h'.

"Sokka, Dr. Shu just told me he would write me a letter of rec! I'm going to have a letter of rec from the HEAD of the department!"

"Congratulations, Katara! That's amazing! Though I can't say I'm surprised." He smiled at her and she sat in the chair next to him.

"I just, I can't believe it! I mean, I work with Dr. Panna, so I wasn't surprised when she said yes. I know it's like, proff's jobs and stuff, but they could always say no, but she said yes and I was happy. But Dr. Shu, like approached me and basically OFFERED. It's like, I can't."

Sokka laughed at her good-naturedly then. "Just what kind of student do you think you are? And what kind of student do you think gets good letters of rec from amazing professors?"

"You?" She said, her head tilting. "You seem like you would have been one of the students that got the good letters."

"I did get the good letters. And you're better than I was."

Katara shook her head. "No, I try to be like you. I'm good because you're a model I observe and learn from."

Zuko laughed then. Katara and Sokka looked at him. "Tara, you've always been this way. I don't see anything different in you then I did when you were in high school. Except perhaps, you're happier, and you have a larger vocabulary."

"You two knew each other in high school? I just thought he was the new RA Dr. Panna recruited."

Katara gaped at Sokka and Zuko then. "He's my ex. Wait, what? You're a new RA? Since when? You don't even go here!" Sokka and Katara giggled at that.

"Actually, I enrolled last year. And yes, I'm working here now."

Just then a bunch of RAs started entering the lab. "Looks like the meeting is about to start, Tara, did you want to sit next to me?" Katara rolled her eyes and kept her seat next to Sokka.

A minute later, Dr. Panna walked in. "Hello, hello." She sat in her usual seat and Katara stared at Zuko with an expression mixed between surprise and disdain.

"Okay, so today I wanted to introduce you all to the new RA. His name is Zuko and he is a sophomore psychology student. He will be working on Sokka's study. Katara and Sokka, will you two train him on the study and get him up and running as soon as possible? I want him running as soon as the new semester starts. He can be doing other things like coding and such until then, but I also want him running the script."

Katara looked at Dr. Panna in surprise. "You want me to help train?"

Dr. Panna nodded. "Yes, Sokka was telling me today some of the things you have helped him with and I think you're able to start helping with training and stuff."

A man in a fedora next to Katara interjected, "You're being promoted."

"That's a good way to put it, Aang, Katara is being promoted."

Katara smiled and looked shocked. "Wow, I don't know what to say. Thank you."

"Thank you for all your hard work. Aside from that, Zuko, would you like to introduce yourself?"

"Um, sure. I'm Zuko. I'm a sophomore, psychology major, I want to be a career counselor when I'm older, and I'm really into positive psychology: Maslow, Rogers, all that." He looked at Katara then, and she smiled back weakly, she looked shocked still, but Zuko could tell it wasn't over being promoted.

A week later, Katara was showing Zuko where he could find all the materials for Sokka's study. As she reached to get something off the top shelf, Zuko reached up after her, brushing himself against her. Katara froze.

"What are you doing?" she hissed. They were the only ones in the lab but her eyes searched the lab anyway.

"I was helping you. You needed the paper thing."

"I always reach it just fine. I was doing this before you got here you know."

"I know, it's why you're training me."

She turned away from him and covered her forehead and eyes with her palm. "Zuko, be honest with me. I know you don't give a damn about psychology or research. Why are you here?"

He sighed. "Because some you care about is in danger. I'm here to protect him."

Katara looked at him through her fingers. "What are you talking about?"

"Someone in this lab found a result at the same time someone else in another lab in Chicago did. The person in this lab published their findings first."

Katara nodded, "Yeah, it happens frequently. It's called 'scooping,' it's what keeps competition alive between research psychologists. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, the other person in Chicago is an angry individual. Very angry. He put a hit on the person who scooped him. I was going to take the person out and get the money. But when I came here, I saw the two of you together, I figured he meant something to you. So I decided to protect him instead of taking him out."

Katara sank into the nearby chair. "Where did you see us? How did you know I care for him?"

"In the hallway downstairs; he was sitting down, and you were standing next to him. The two of you were just talking, but I saw the facial expressions you two shared. I don't know how you care about him; I just know that you do."

Her breathing was ragged. "Who? Who was it in the hallway with me? Who is the one in danger?"

"Sokka."

"He can't know." Katara stood up. "He has a wife, and puppies. They can't know. No one must know who you are or what you're really doing here. …Zuko, for long are you going to protect him?"

"Until the hit is removed, or you order me to."

"What will happen? You can't stay in the lab the whole time; you're going to have to 'graduate'. …Are you _really_ a student?"

"No, I'm not. I just have the paperwork and the computer program hacked to say I am. I have it all worked out. Yes, I will graduate eventually. But until then, I'm going to use this time to get to know Sokka and his habits. Then I'll be able to protect him from anywhere in any way."

Katara nodded. "I see." She looked at him then. "Thank you, so much. Thank you."

"Who is he to you?"

"My mentor, my friend, he's like a brother to me. An older brother I never got to have." A tear fell down Katara's cheek then. Zuko rushed to her and grabbed her face gently.

"It will be okay. Okay? I won't let anything happen to him; just like I would never let anything happen to you."

Katara nodded, looking into his eyes, her chest getting tight. Just then Sokka walked into the lab. Katara shook herself away from Zuko and stood up. "Anyway, like I said, the research cards are here, on this shelf. Give one to each participant. It doesn't do anything really; it's just a safety precaution."

Sokka stood there staring at Katara and Zuko. "Katara, can I get you to help me with making copies downstairs?"

"Yeah, let me set Zuko up with the survey so he can get a feel for it."

"Good idea."

A few minutes later, Sokka and Katara were walking to the office. "What was that? I walk in and I see him about to kiss you. Are you getting back with him?"

"What? No. I was just, upset and he was trying to make me feel better. Don't worry about it."

"If you say so," Sokka said. But he would carefully observe the two of them from here on out.


	3. Find Me

He walked into the coffee shop and saw her sitting alone at a table studying. She had a tea next to her, her laptop open, and several textbooks surrounding her. She had ear buds in her ears and was moving slightly her head to the music she was playing. He walked up to her and tapped her shoulder lightly. She looked up at him with an expression of surprise paused her music and removed her ear bud.

"Oh hey, how are you?"

"May I?" he asked gesturing to the seat across from her.

"Of course, of course."

When he was sitting across from her, he smiled at her warmly. "So, about that text last night?"

She giggled and looked down, her hair falling across her face. "Haha, yeah…" she looked at him again, her face serious, eyes brazen. "I was thinking about everything I've ever experienced in my life, and how they've made me the person I am today." Her eyes grew more solemn. "You were such a large part of my life for so long, and because of that, you have had a very large influence of who I am."

"I bet I've made you bitter towards men and relationships."

"Oh, God, no! If anything, you've made me have standards for the next guy I date. Because of you, I know how a man should treat me. …Maybe not how an ex should treat me, haha, but definitely how a man should treat me."

"And how should a man treat you?"

"Like a queen. With love, devotion, and protection. He should understand me, even when I can't understand me. He should walk with me and surround me with an air of protection; he should make me feel like the most beautiful girl in his life, even when I don't feel like it. He should treat me like you did."

He nodded his head to her words. "Exactly, I'm glad you know that."

"I just wish I'd known how to be a girlfriend when I dated you, maybe we would have been able to get passed, you know, everything."

"What do you mean?"

"You were the first person in a really long time that I could lean on. Because of that, I completely depended on you, and didn't let you depend on me much. If we had been more equal, maybe we would have been able to get passed everything. I should have let you lean too."

He reached his hand to hers and grasped it tightly. "It's alright, you know that now."

She just smiled.

"Tara?"

"Yes?"

"What would you do if I were to kiss you?"

"I don't know."

"Care to find out?"

"I don't know."

He smirked and leaned across the table to her, touching her face lightly with his fingertips. When she didn't pull back, he pressed his lips to hers lightly. At first her lips were still against his, not kissing back but not pulling away. When Zuko pressed his lips together slightly, capturing her bottom lip in between his, he felt a shiver run through her, and then her lips were alive. She kissed back, taking his bottom lip between hers instead, and running the tip of her tongue along it like she used to, in a past life. Zuko shivered then and placed his hand along her jawline, pushing her away gently. She looked confused and breathless before realizing they were still in the coffee shop and sitting back in her chair, neither of them having realized she had met him in the middle.

"Um, I, um…" she trailed off breathlessly. It hadn't been a very intense kiss, a tongue barely touched a lip, yet they were both breathless and dazed. It hadn't been an intense kiss, but it was an intense experience. Zuko kept his hand around hers, and he searched her eyes for regret, he found none.

"I guess we know what you would do now," he chuckled.

She only nodded and looked back to her computer. His face fell as he watched her attempting to compose herself.

"You don't wanna do it again, do you?"

She shook her head. "I don't think that's best."

"Why not?"

He inhaled sharply when she looked at him again, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "It just isn't."

He looked at all of the textbooks surrounding her. One was about beating the GRE for psychology. Of course, she was focused on school. And she didn't want anything to come before that, even a small kiss that stole her breath away from her by a man she never stopped loving.

"I'm going to respect that, and I'm going to respect you. But I want you to know that I've never stopped loving you, and one day, I will see you again. You understand?"

She wouldn't meet his eyes, nodding. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed the inside of her wrist, sending another shiver through her. He smiled against her wrist and grazed her fingers against the scar on his lower jaw, something he knew used to drive her crazy. The stiffening of her spine showed that was still the case. She finally met his eyes dazedly. He stared into her deep brown eyes for several minutes, promising a reunion in the future. She just stared back unwaveringly, meeting his promises with acceptance, even hope. She wanted to see him again as much as he wanted to see her; right now was just not the right time.

"I'm not going to tell you where I end up," she said. "I want you to find me. I believe you'll find me when it's the right time."

He nodded and kissed her fingertips, causing her to shiver again and reveling in the fact that he could barely touch her and still cause such a reaction from her.

"I will find you, my wife, if it is the last thing I do."

She raised her eyebrow at the word wife, and smirked, suddenly playful again. "That doesn't sound sketchy at all."

"You haven't seen sketchy yet, my sweet love, but I will show you. The next time we see each other will be at night, and I will show you what sketch really means."

She shivered yet again and waved him away. "Well, if you and I are going to meet again in the future, we should get started on our futures."

He arose and nodded to her. "If you say so. I will see you soon." He turned to walk out the door but she jumped up from her seat. "Wait! You did not hug me goodbye."

He smirked and walked back to her, pulling her into his arms. He had grown taller, but she had stayed the same. Despite the larger height difference, she still fit perfectly into his body. His hands found the small of her back; hers found his shoulders, pressing her face into his chest, inhaling the scent of his cologne. As they held each other close, they smelled the other's scent and fell in love all over again. Of course the small kiss caused so many feelings; it had been like a sip of water after days in a desert. He moved his arm in between them and lifted her chin up so she made eye contact with him again.

"Remember that I love you."

"I will. Find me soon, alright?"

"Of course. Goodbye, ma cherrie."

And then he left the shop, leaving her dazed and lightheaded. She returned to her seat, but had a really hard time focusing her attention on schoolwork after that.


	4. Stranded at the tea shop

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Avatar: The Last Airbender

Disclaimer 2: This scene gets a little heated. Hope no one is offended. =)

"Dammit, Katara! How could you be so naïve?! These people are exploiting us for our money! And here you are falling into their trap!"

"Well excuse me, Master Jet; I wasn't aware you knew absolutely everything about _these_ people." Katara huffed and walked away from her date leaving him standing outside the restaurant.

"Screw it, Katara, do whatever you want. I don't care anymore. You can walk home."

Katara blanched and turned on her heel to face Jet. "You're seriously leaving me out here, downtown, at _night?_ What is w_rong_ with you? How can you be so-" but Katara was cut off as Jet slammed his car door and sped off, leaving Katara on the sidewalk, shivering in her sleeveless dress and thin shawl.

"What a royal _jerk!_" Katara fished out her cell phone and began dialing her roommate Suki's number. After three missed calls, Katara sighed and put her phone back in her purse.

"Guess I'm walking," she said to herself as she began walking down the sidewalk. Twenty minutes later, Katara's feet were hurting from the high heels she had been wearing to dinner. She kneeled down to slip her heels off and tuck them safely in her purse. It would slow down her progress because she had to make sure not to step on glass, but at least the pain was temporarily alleviated.

Another thirty minutes later, it began raining heavily but Katara kept walking, finding solace in the cold rain. However, it started lighting and thunder and Katara began to shiver in earnest now. She darted into the nearest business, a teashop.

"Escape from the rain?" the kind shop owner asked her. He was an older and slightly short man, with greying hair and kind golden eyes. Katara nodded, teeth chattering.

"Oh my lady, you must be freezing! Here, come along. There's a fire going in the main sitting area. I will have my employee bring you some robes so you can change into something dry."

The old man walked Katara to the sitting area where she plopped down directly in front of the fire. Katara sat there and closed her eyes, trying to get as warm as possible in her still sodden dress.

"T-Tara?"

Katara whirled around. "Z-Zuko? Wh-what are you d-doing here?"

"Your lips are purple!" Zuko rushed to Katara with the dry and warm robes in his hands. He immediately began tugging on her dress to help her get out of her wet clothing. "I don't have any undergarments for girls, but you can wear my robes, they're pretty insulating."

Katara knew she should not allow her ex to remove her clothing in the middle of an –albeit empty – teashop, but she was so cold and he was so warm, she mindlessly followed his instructions and helped him undress her. When she was just in her underwear, she saw Zuko struggling not to stare at her and just help her cover herself with the robe until she could remove her undergarments as well. He held the robe around her while she removed them, and carefully helped her drape the robe over herself. The robes were so large on her that he had to wrap them around her three times. Once she was covered again, Zuko was finally able to meet her eyes.

"I'll take these to the back to be dried. Wait here, okay?"

As Zuko rose to leave, Katara felt the absence of his heat to her very bones. She reached out and grabbed his arm.

"I ca-can't get warm, please stay?"

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose and inhaled deeply. "Katara, if I stay while you're like this, I won't be able to keep my hands off of you."

Katara looked down, her wet hair covering her face. She was still shivering. "I unde-derstand-d," she chattered.

When he heard her chattering teeth, Zuko's control broke; he threw her clothes to the ground and sat next to her, pulling her into his arms. Her sigh of satisfaction at the return of his warmth melted his heart and caused his stomach to flip.

After holding her for fifteen minutes or so, Katara finally sat up, no longer shivering.

"Thank you, Zuko, I was so cold."

He nodded at her, staring into the fire rather than looking at her. They sat in silence for a while, both staring into the fire as it continued to rain outside.

"What happened, Katara?" Zuko asked suddenly. "Why were you alone, in the rain, at night, in that dress?"

Katara jumped. "I…was on a date." Zuko stiffened. "It didn't go well…and he left me outside of the restaurant." Zuko's fists clenched. "I started walking home, but then it started raining and lighting, so I came in here."

Zuko was taking deep breathes to calm himself.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you worked here," Katara said, not understanding Zuko's reaction to what she said.

Zuko shook his head. "It's not that, you are always welcome her. I'm…pissed, that someone would just leave you alone like that. What kind of a man _does_ that?"

At that moment, the shop keeper shuffled in. "Zuko, I am going to lock up the shop for the night. You can keep the young lady company if you wish. If she wishes to sleep here, she can use any of the guest rooms in the back. My lady, you are more than welcome to stay until the rain stops. The news said the storm should be over in the morning."

"Thank you, sir, I appreciate that."

"Yes, Iroh, thank you."

Iroh left the young adults alone again.

"Katara?"

"Yes?"

"Who was it that left you like that?"

"You don't know him. His name is Jet. He's in one of my psych classes. I thought he was a good guy, but he's kind of a jerk."

"What did you fight about that caused him to leave you?"

"Charity, believe it or not. He thinks that charity is exploitation and that I'm naïve for believing in it."

"And for that, he leaves you, alone downtown at night?"

"You act like I'm a delicate little thing that needs constant protection."

Zuko's golden eyes blazed. "That's not what I'm saying! It's just that, he picked you up from your home to take you somewhere; it is his responsibility to get you safely back home. No matter what fight we had, I never would have just left you somewhere."

Katara noticed Zuko's hand clenching into fists again, instinctively, she reached out and grabbed hold of them, rubbing soothing circles into them until he released the tension. As she rubbed his hands, she felt him staring at her. Looking up, she saw his face inches from hers, his breath slightly quickening. He got closer to her, his lips centimeters from hers.

"Katara…" he breathed.

"We shouldn't…it will just get confusing again."

"I know…"

He closed his eyes to break the spell so that he could pull away, but suddenly, he felt her lips against his. He inhaled in surprise, but tasted her scent on his tongue, and for the second time that night, his control broke. His arm snaked around her middle, and even through three layers of fabric, he felt goose bumps on her skin. Her hands found his way to his hair and she crawled into his lap as he pulled her still closer to him. Teeth grazed lips and tongues teased each other while the couple got closer still. Katara's hand brushed the small scar on Zuko's left jawbone sending shivers down his spine. Ever since Katara found out the story behind Zuko's small scar, she never failed to run her fingers along it, always making Zuko melt when she did so.

Zuko kept his left arm tight around her waist but his right hand found her face, cradling her cheek in his hand and pulling her even deeper into the kiss.

Breathes hitched and small moans could be heard deep in their throats. Finally, Zuko pulled his lips from Katara's and trailed down her throat, peppering her throat with kisses. When he reached the fabric of his own robe at her collarbone, he growled, she looked so sexy in his clothes. Not wanting to push Katara, he kept his trail of kisses up and down her throat and along her neck, Katara throwing her head back to give him better access. As she threw her head back, she moved slightly on his lap, causing the tension to rise continuously. She began to push Zuko into a laying position, keeping hold of his hair and following him. As they collapsed next to the fire, Zuko turned them so he was above her, and he kept kissing her lips, her throat, her neck. Getting brave, he nipped at her collarbone, causing her to moan loudly.

"Shh, sweetie, my boss is in the back."

Katara nodded and captured his lips with hers again, spreading her knees so he was laying between them, his chest still pressed against her. Through all the clothes, he felt her shivering.

"I'm gonna take a guess that those shivers aren't due to the cold this time," he chuckled against her lips.

"Mmm, no."

Zuko let go of her face and reached down to the sash that kept her robe closed, but he hesitated, making eye contact with Katara. "Is this alright?"

"I, um, I…" she trailed off. "I can't think clearly right now."

With that, Zuko got off of his ex-girlfriend, his love, his angel. When Katara protested, Zuko shook his head. "I don't want to do anything you might regret later. If we do this, it will be a decision you made coherently." Zuko sat up and scooted away from Katara, close enough for her to reach out to him if she wanted to, but far away enough that she wasn't tempted.

Katara sat up, still breathless, her chest heaving. She gazed again into the fire, thinking. "I hate that you never let me make stupid decisions like this," she said softly.

"I don't ever want to be a stupid decision for you," he said equally softly.

"You could never be a stupid decision." She said this so quietly, he wasn't sure he heard her right. "You could never be a stupid decision, because in my heart, you will always be the right decision."

Zuko's breath hitched. "And in my heart, you will always be the right decision."

"So why aren't we rolling on the floor right now?" she asked chuckling.

"The same reason we are broken up…" Zuko covered his mouth after he said that. Katara looked at him with watery eyes.

"I should go…" She stood and began remove the robe he had leant her.

He caught her hand. "If you take that off, you won't get out of here for a while."

"Are you leaving this decision to me?"

He nodded.

She removed the robe.


	5. Breaking up is hard to do

Disclaimer: I do not own anything A:TLA =)

Zuko does not make an appearance in this one, but this one explains the break-up…and sets up their next encounter. Enjoy!

Also, I played with the ages in this universe, Sokka and Katara are not biologically related, they more or less adopted each other as siblings after they met each other. And Aang is older than Katara.

"You know something? I never knew how much weddings cost until I started planning one."

"Haha, well duh Aang, you're a guy."

"Yeah, Katara is right; men generally don't know that stuff."

"Yeah, but, apparently Meng has been planning her wedding since before she met me."

"Well duh, all girls start planning their wedding when they're little girls."

"Oh no, Yue, that is not true. I haven't been planning my wedding."

"Really Katara?! Not even a little?"

"Nope, the closest I've ever come to it was when I was actually engaged and we were planning our wedding. Once we stopped being engaged, we stopped planning a wedding. I haven't thought about it much since."

"Was this the fire guy from before?" Aang asked.

"Yep."

"You were _engaged_, Katara?"

"Yep. In high school, I know, pretty young. But we were in love."

"Sokka, did you know about this?" Yue demanded, rounding on Sokka.

"Yes, she told me last year."

"Aang, when did she tell you?"

"Last semester. We're very close in this lab."

Yue huffed. "It's because I'm new isn't it?"

Aang, Katara, and Sokka laughed good naturedly. Yue crossed her arms and walked out of the room, mumbling something about being out of the loop.

"Oh undergrads…" Sokka and Aang laughed together.

"Hey, don't forget I'm also an undergrad," Katara said smacking both of her graduate friends over the head.

"Never," they both chimed together.

The next day, Katara entered the lab and found Aang alone at his computer.

"Hey, Aang," she called.

"Hi, Katara!"

"What's up?"

"I wanted to ask you something, personal, if that's alright with you."

"Uh, sure, Aang, what is it?"

"Why did you and fire guy break up?"

Katara stiffened. "You mean Zuko?"

Aang nodded in affirmation and Katara sunk into a chair next to him.

"Well, I don't really know… Well, that's not true, but it's kind of hard to explain. We had several break-ups before we were finally over…but even now, we're not really…I don't know. Okay, you asked for this…are you sure?"

"Go on, I really wanna know."

"Well, we were engaged, as you know. We got engaged really early, right before my seventeenth birthday. He came to the office during my office aid period and asked if I could go with him on a short walk. While we were walking, he asked me what I would do if he gave me a ring for my birthday. I told him it depended on the purpose of the ring. And then he kneeled down in front of me, did the whole 'I'll love you til I die' bit and gave me the ring. He gave me my engagement ring and showed me the 'promise' ring he would give me in front of my parents. We didn't want them to know we were engaged. So, that's how we got engaged. After that, I would trade out my engagement ring for my promise ring in front of my parents, but everywhere else, I wore my engagement ring. We began planning our wedding; it was going to be two years after we graduated. It was going to be a winter wedding…"

Katara took a breath to compose herself.

"Anyway, our plan was to move in together after graduation, go to community college for two years, get married, and then move away to a university."

Katara looked out the window when she said this, staring at the art building of her university that was three hours away from her hometown.

"But that didn't happen. I changed everything. One day, I found out I was in the top 15% of my class, and that I could go anywhere I wanted to. I sat Zuko down, and told him that I wanted to go to a university, a real university. I told him that the only difference would be that while he was at a community school; I would be at a university. I would still live with him, I would still marry him, and I would stay in the same city as he, I just wanted to go to a university. He agreed, saying he didn't want to do anything to hold me back."

Katara grew silent and pinched the bridge of her nose; Aang laid a hand comfortingly on her knee.

"I wanted to live with him; I wanted to stay in Ba Sing Se with him. But, a week later, he broke up with me, out of the blue. I was crushed. I came here, to Omashu because I needed to get away from him, from that city, from that heartbreak. Because, even though we were broken up, we had mutual friends, and seeing each other was unavoidable. Our relationship more or less continued without a label. It was so confusing! I didn't know how to feel about him. I thought that by going to school in Omashu, I could end up getting away from him and the heartbreak. I thought it would finally put an end to us, to this confusion. But he followed me here. I texted him, the day before I was moving, asking to see him one last time before I left. He was visiting his mom over in a little village thirty minutes south of here, so he couldn't hang out. I told him that I was moving to Omashu for school, next thing I know, he's had his dad bring up all of his things. He moved in with his mom to be closer to me."

Katara paused, looking at Aang.

"Continue."

"The next day, I moved up here, we had to leave at 4 in the morning, and I was scared and sad. I mean, I was leaving my parents for the first time. Zuko knew that, and told me to text him when we left Ba Sing Se, so that he could keep me calm along the drive. I fell asleep though, and never texted him. Around noon that day, he texted me asking me how I was holding up, I told him I was freaking out. When my parents left that day, I was crying in my dorm room, and he called me five minutes after they left. He called me and told me to let him in. He stayed with me that night and the next day, helping me get used to being up here by myself.

After that, we saw each other sometimes, randomly, whenever I would get lonely, I would call him. After a while though, he stopped having time for me. And guys began asking me out. I didn't know what to tell them, was I in a relationship or wasn't I? So one day, Zuko took me to see a movie. I asked him what we were, and whether he would make me a priority in his life again."

Katara's eyes began to water.

"He said no. He was doing something important right now, trying to become an honorable man, trying to be a provider. He couldn't distract himself from that. And so, I told him that I couldn't play this game of tag with him anymore…I gave him back his promise ring – he had told me to keep my promise ring after the break-up when I tried returning the rings, he only wanted the engagement one back – and he dropped me off at my dorm."

The tears began streaming down Katara's face and Aang squeezed her knee.

"We haven't seen each other much since then. Most of the time, the only thing I know about him is that he is still alive and well. Sometimes, he'll pop up in the randomest places. Other days, I'll find out from a friend that he's in the fire nations, visiting his dad. All I know is, every time I see him, I want to ask him why we broke up, and I want to change his mind about it."

"Why do you think he broke up with you?"

"Our friends say he felt like he was 'holding me back' from my dreams. The idiot."

"Why do you say he is an idiot?"

"Because, I can achieve my dreams anywhere, I didn't need to be in Omashu to do it."

"Even though Omashu has one of the most prestigious psychology programs? Even though you're 22 and already a research assistant, office aid, and psychology tutor? Even though you have so many professor recommendations waiting for you to ask them?"

"I know all of that, don't get me wrong. I know that there are several opportunities here for me, but in Ba Sing Se, I could have had similar opportunities, and I would have had Zuko."

"But he followed you here."

"Yeah, but he still isn't mine. That fact used to hurt a lot more, but now, I think being single is what I need right now. You know?"

"Why's that?"

"To focus on school. Two young adults living together right out of high school rarely ends well."

"Fair enough, people do grow differently. The younger the people begin a relationship, the more different they become as they age. Personalities change, feelings change. That puts strain on a relationship."

"Even though I've changed, there's one thing that hasn't."

"What's that?"

"My feelings for him. In these years of being broken up, my feelings for him have never changed. I love him as much as I did when we first proclaimed our love for each other. I get that we're becoming different people, but if the love between them doesn't change, isn't that enough to make the relationship work? Isn't that enough to keep them together?"

Aang squeezed her knew again. "Only time will tell."


	6. I wish love was enough

**Okay, some context for this drabble. Zuko has just made a presentation for a psychology project he did. It did not go well…**

She stood next to Aang and stared out of the lab window. Aang was telling her about Zuko's presentation from earlier.

"So then Dr. Shu asked him a question that Zuko didn't know the answer to…and then he totally clamped up, apologized, and ran out of the room."

Katara looked at Aang. "Is he alright now?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen him since. He disappeared."

Katara looked back out the window, past the art building and across the creek. "Thank you, Aang," she said before leaving the lab.

She collapsed next to her ex-lover, her head directly next to his but her feet facing the opposite direction of his. They were so close they could feel one another. He did not open his eyes when she lay next to him, but he smiled slightly.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi," she responded.

"How did you find me?"

"I've found myself here in many a break-down."

"Ah," he commented.

"Yep," she replied.

"Who told you?"

"Aang."

"Blabbermouth."

"I asked."

"Oh…"

They were silent for a moment.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you ask?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

Zuko shrugged. "You weren't there, I didn't think you cared."

"Did you want me there?"

"Of course I did."

"Then you probably should have invited me…"

She felt his nose against her cheek as he turned to look at her. If she turned her head, she could have kissed him. She remained motionless. After a few seconds, he turned back and looked at the sky.

"Next time," he said.

"I'll be there," she responded.

"Maybe I won't fall apart this time."

"I'll keep you from falling apart."

Again they laid in silence, letting Katara's words wash over them.

"Tara?"

"Yeah?"

"Why does Aang call me 'fire guy'?"

She chuckled. "Aang and I have had conversations about you before you came here. He gave you the nickname before he met you."

"What kind of conversations?"

"He asked me once, if I'd ever been in love. I told him about you. He believes your love consumes me, like a fire."

"My love consumes you?"

"I said consumed, past tense."

"No you didn't."

She turned to look at him, and he turned to look at her. They stared into each other's eyes for several minutes.

"Your eyes, they're smoldering, like embers of a fire. You love with a passion that threatens to overwhelm your lover. Whomever you love needs to be able to temper you."

"Like you?"

Katara closes her eyes. "That's what Aang believes."

"Do you believe that?"

She felt his breath on her face. It was warm and comforting, like a fire.

"Yes."

And then his lips crushed hers. They kissed for several minutes, a warm glow expanding in Katara's chest. When Zuko pulled away and collapsed once again by her side, Katara opened her eyes and stared at the sky.

"Why do we do this to ourselves?"

"Because fire is all consuming."

"It brings confusion into our lives."

"Would you change it?"

"I would have never let you break up with me."

"You wouldn't be here if I hadn't."

She nodded, "You have a point. But I'm here now. Why are we still broken up?"

"Tara…"

"I know, you think it's better for me."

"If I could stay away from you to make it easier on you, I would."

"Don't make it easier on me."

"I can't."

"Good."

"You're such a masochist."

"Says the one who loves so much it hurts."

"Maybe I'll find someone who can temper me, when the time is right."

"Maybe."

She turned herself so she was aligned with him and reached for his hand. They stared at the sky, hands interlaced, and thought about the love they shared. As they drifted off to sleep, Zuko murmured something so softly, Katara couldn't be sure she heard it.

"I wish my love was enough to make your dreams come true."


	7. A Reflection

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Avatar: The Last Airbender

Hey guys, I'm updating this little blurb today to let you guys know that I cannot update for a while, finals are a week away. I will update during study breaks hopefully, but come 12/10, it'll be back to an update a day or every other day. =)

Today's drabble is a reflection of Zuko and Katara from the perspective of the grad students. Enjoy.

Also, thank you so much for your sweet reviews. They truly make my day. =D

ZZZ

"Before I leave here, I want to watch an intra-lab romance," Haru said thoughtfully.

"What? Why would you want to see that?"

"Well, I don't know, maybe it's the romantic in me, but I really want to see it."  
Sokka shook his head. "Well, Katara and Zuko have been awfully close lately."

"They won't resolve their relationship before I leave, they're both too stubborn."

Aang commented then. "The thing about Zuko and Katara is that they are the only ones that can come up with a reason why they should not be together. No one else around them can see their reasoning for that, but whatever…"

"Maybe they're right and we're wrong," Sokka said thoughtfully.

And the three men laughed.

"Good one, Sokka," Haru said after he was able to take a breath.

"I wonder why they broke up in the first place," Aang said.

"Hasn't Katara told you?"

"She's told me why she thinks they broke up, but I want to know from him, and he's the one who did it."

"He's spoken to me a little," Sokka said.

Haru and Aang stared at Sokka. "Well, tell us."

"He thinks he is not worthy of her the way they are now. When they got engaged and made plans to stay in Ba Sing Se together, he had no idea just how successful she was in school. When she told him that she wanted to go to a university but would stay in Ba Sing Se with him, he realized that he was holding her back. And what's worse, she didn't even realize it herself. She was perfectly content staying with him instead of pursuing all she could. And her being here has obviously shown the three of us just how much potential she has."

"She can go wherever or do whatever she wants."

"Yes, exactly, and Zuko knows that. He doesn't want to be the reason why she doesn't become all that she can be."  
"Why can't he just go with her? He showed up here."

"That's the other side; he wants to better himself for her. If he follows her around everywhere, when will he have the time to make himself worthy of her? He says he wants to become an honorable man that can provide for her, or at the very least be her equal."

"Do you not think he is her equal already?"

"Maybe not when it comes to academics, but Katara is special in that. I think as a person, the very stock of his character, the way he treats her and his goals, he is equal to her. And she needs that. Katara can't have someone who is constantly trying to dominate her, but she also can't have someone who doesn't challenge her and make her grow as a person. I think they're life paths will always be crossing, just maybe not right now."

"Back to what Haru said about their both being too stubborn to get into a relationship."

"I think for right now though, that's what's best. Zuko is right though, it's dangerous for Katara to not realize that he could potentially hold her back. I greatly respect and admire his acknowledgement of it and his attempts to rectify it."  
"You do not think his being her would still cause her to allow herself to be held back?"  
"Without a full commitment, I can't see Katara risking her future."

The three nodded thoughtfully.

"I want them to be together," Haru said.

"Everyone does."

Just then, Katara walked into the lab.

"Hey guys," she said brightly.

"Katara!" The three graduate students jumped and pulled Katara into a hug.

"Um, guys?"

They just squeezed her tighter for a second longer. "We think you're awesome Katara, okay? Totally awesome. And we support any decision you make."

"Decisions about what?"

"Anything, just know that we support you."

"Thanks?"

And then they returned to their seats as Zuko walked in. Haru stood up and walked to Zuko.

"I support your decisions as well," he said to him and proceeded to walk out the door.

"What was that about?" Zuko asked.

"Don't know, but Aang and I agree," Sokka said as he stood up and grabbed Aang by the collar of his shirt, dragging him out of the room. Before he left, he turned and tucked Katara under her chin affectionately, and then they left, leaving Zuko and Katara alone.

"What was _that?_"

"I don't know," Katara responded. "I've never seen them act like that. That was weird."

"Yeah," Zuko looked around. "They left us here alone."

Katara put her hands on her hip and scowled. "Some psychologists are just really annoying."

Zuko nodded in agreement, but the two stayed in the lab alone.

Alright guys, I know that was short, but I'm writing in between classes here. Much love, you guys are totally awesome! Zutara for the win!


	8. Confrontation

I decided to write another drabble today instead of studying. =D

I own nothing but the drabble.

I present a little Jet-Zuko confrontation. =P

ZZ

"You have no reason to be angry," Katara hissed as she slammed her apartment door.

"I have no reason to be angry?! You're going out with that, that, _douche_!"

"You and I are no longer a couple, Zuko. I realize that these past few weeks have been a tad confusing in that respect, but we are not together. You have no right to be angry about this."

Zuko grabbed Katara's arm and spun her to face him.

"You're right, we aren't a couple. And if you wanna date, then go ahead and date. But I _am_ your friend, and have absolutely every right to be angry about your choice to date someone who is a total and complete _jerk_ to you. Do you not remember the time you stayed in my tea shop over night because he _left_ you somewhere?"

Katara could feel Zuko's breath against her face; she could smell his scent and taste it on her tongue through her open mouth. Despite her anger, her body couldn't help but respond. Her heart sped up and she inched closer to Zuko, her chest lightly brushing his. Zuko's eyes fluttered and his heart began to speed up.

"Katara…" he inched closer to kiss her. His lips brushed hers.

A few seconds later, Katara pulled away roughly. Zuko grasped at her, missing her warmth.

"This is exactly why I'm going out with him again," Zuko turned from her. She reached and grabbed his shoulder, but he pulled away from her. "I love you, Zuko. You know that. But, we aren't together anymore. That was your choice, and I'm trying to respect that. But you're in my space now, and in my head," she paused to take a deep breath, continuing quietly. "…and in my heart. Zuko, I have to create some distance between us. If I don't, I won't be able to go to Wisconsin in the fall, not without you. And that was why we broke up, remember? So that I could go away for school?"

Silence fell; Katara chewed her lower lip in anticipation. When Zuko didn't speak, she spoke again. "Please say something."

Zuko turned and pulled her in an embrace, her face burying in his chest. He stroked her hair softly. "I know," he murmured softly. "I love you too, and being this lose to you hurts me so much. And I understand that you want to date someone else to separate us, but Jet? Really? That's my problem. I don't want you dating someone who will treat you any less than perfectly."

Katara giggled, the vibrations rippling through Zuko's chest. "No one but you will treat me like that."

"But they can try," he said kissing her head.

"One date, and if I get stranded anywhere, you can beat him up."

"Oh, well then, I kind of hope that happens."

"Hey!"  
"I'll pick you up first," he said smirking.

"Haha, okay." Katara attempted to pull out of the hug but Zuko pulled her tighter.

"Not just yet," he said.

Katara snuggled deeper in her ex-lover's arms,

ZZ

"I'm sorry that I left you at the restaurant last time," Jet said, scooting out Katara's chair.

"It is alright, just don't let it happen again." She smiled at him over the wine glasses.

"Of course. Can I tell you something?"  
"Sure."  
"I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. You're so gorgeous and amazing."

Katara blushed, "Thank you, Jet."

ZZ

Katara closed her apartment door and leaned against it, smiling.  
"How was it?" A slightly hoarse voice asked.

Katara jumped and hit the light before landing in a fighting pose.

"Down, Tara, down. It's only me." Zuko said with his hands up.

"Ugh, Zuko, what the hell?"

"Sorry, I had nowhere else to go so I thought I'd stick around. Suki said she didn't mind."

"Oh, okay," Katara removed her coat and put it on the hook next to the door. She walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water.

"You never answered my question," Zuko said, following her into the kitchen.

"What question?"

"How did it go?"

"Oh, it went well, actually…"  
"Really?" Zuko asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I'm as surprised as you are. But he was a perfect gentleman, even did the whole seat pulling out and everything."

"And he got you home alright."

"Yep," she poured herself another glass of water. "I love water, it's so delicious."

"It's tasteless, how can it be delicious?"

"It totally has a taste!"

"No, it really doesn't."

Katara smirked and splashed some water at Zuko's face. He gaped at her and some of the water slid off his cheek and into his mouth.

"Taste that? That's the taste of water."

"I still don't taste anything, but…" Zuko grabbed the water and splashed it on her face, then, before she could react, he brought her to him and licked some of the water off of her cheek. "Hmm, I tasted that…" He licked water off her jawbone. "I tasted that." He licked some water off her throat. "And that." He licked her neck, "And I definitely tasted that. You're right, water _does_ have a taste." He released Katara and walked toward her bedroom. "I'm gonna borrow a robe while my shirt dries, hope that's cool."

Katara couldn't respond, she was trying to get her breathing under control.

ZZ

Zuko walked into the classroom and saw Jet leaning against Katara's desk. He stiffened but continued on his way.

"Hey Tara, Jet."

"Hey Zuko," Katara responded smiling.

"Zuko," Jet responded.

Zuko and Jet stared each other down for a few minutes before Zuko turned to Katara and smiled.

"Did you wanna study tonight still?"

"Um, yeah, that works. You can come over tonight around 8?"

"Sure, I'll be there."

ZZ

After class, Katara and Jet walked out of the room, Zuko following slightly behind. He caught up and put an arm around Katara. "Let's get lunch."

Jet put a hand on Zuko's chest and shoved him lightly out of the way. "Hands off, bro, I'm taking her to lunch."

"Jet…" Katara warned.

"No, Katara, I see the way he looks at you. Like he knows you or something. He needs to back off, I don't share."

"She hasn't told you?"

"Zuko, no," Katara said, now warning Zuko.

"Told me what?"

"Zuko…"

"We dated in high school," Zuko answered anyway, a gleam in his eye. "And _I_ never deserted her anywhere."

Jet stared from Zuko to Katara and back again. "You're lying. Right Katara?"

Katara sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, a habit she had picked up from Zuko.

"No, he isn't lying. We did date."

"…Well, it doesn't matter, you're not dating anymore." He stared down Zuko. "She's with me now." He put an arm around Katara.

She huffed and walked away from him. "Cut it out, both of you, I'm with neither of you. This is freakin ridiculous."

"I'm sorry, Katara," Jet said. "But if you and I are going to be dating, then you can't hang out with him."

Zuko scoffed. "You don't want to give her an ultimatum, Jet. It won't end well."

"Oh yeah, because you know her so well?"

"Yes, do you?"

"Of course I do."

"Fine then, where does she like to be kissed?"

"Her neck?" Jet asked.

"No, behind her ear, right, not left. What's her favorite color?"

Jet looked at Katara, clothed in red. "Red."

"Wrong, golden. It used to be blue but then she met me and fell in love with my eyes."

Jet looked at Katara who was startled. "Is that true?"

"Y-yes, his eyes, always took my breath away."

Zuko grinned and turned to Jet again. "Where is she ticklish?"

"Waist."

"Wrong, behind her ear, left, not right, and her right calf. What's her idea of a fun date?"

"Sparring. She's a little fighter."

"Correct, one point to you. What's her favorite fruit?"

"Watermelon."  
"Nope, pomegranate, it's just difficult to find. You know nothing about her. How can you even think you're worthy of her?"

"Did you know all of these things before you started dating her? Didn't you have to learn them? I can learn them too."

"At least I was willing to admit I had to learn. You already assume you know her. You don't know her. She hates arrogant guys, she hates ultimatums, and she hates over-possessiveness. And here you are the trifecta. You don't deserve her."

"And you do? Why did you two break up if you're so perfect for her?"

Before Zuko could respond, Katara moved between the two boys. "This is over. Go, Jet, I'll call you later."

"You're choosing him over me?"

"I'm not choosing anyone, but I'm breaking this up. Now go, before you force me to say things I know I'll regret."

Jet stared at the ex-couple. "I'm sorry Katara, but this is too much drama for me. I never aspired to be in a love-triangle." And then he walked away.

ZZZ

I'm proud of everything but Jet's speech at the end, but I wanted to write him off. Enjoy. =)


	9. Buy me a hot chocolate

So my finals are over, but while I was studying, I was inspired for this drabble. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender world.

ZZZ

Katara was sitting at the table, her hair draped over her shoulder brushing the paper she was writing on. She was chewing on her lower lip with her eyebrows stitched in concentration; she was surrounded by her textbooks. Zuko sat opposite her, his own textbooks open and his pencil poised to write down another note from his textbook. The two had been studying for several hours, and Zuko was starting to itch for some Katara time.

"Katara?"

"Hmm?"

"Let's kiss."

"That sounds great."

Zuko smirked, she wasn't listening to him. "Cool, you should come sit on my lap."

"In a moment, let me just finish this sentence."

"Of course," he lifted his eyebrow at her.

They sat in silence for several minutes while Katara continued writing out her notes. Zuko watched her with warm eyes; she always looked so golden in her element. He watched her chewing on her lip as struggled to deconstruct and reconstruct the concept in her head. When Katara finished her chapter she looked up at Zuko grinning.

"Zuko, I'm cold, buy me a hot chocolate."

"You said you'd come sit on my lap and kiss me."

Katara's eyes widened. "What? When did I say that?"

"When I said that we should kiss."

"I don't remember that. Was I working?"

Zuko grinned and stood, walking over to Katara. He bent and kissed her hair. "Yes, ma cherrie, you were. However, I was promised a kiss."

"I wasn't paying attention; you can't hold me to that."

"If I buy you a hot chocolate, will I get a kiss then?"

Katara thought it over. "Yes, but you have to guess where you can kiss me."

Zuko smirked. "Am I allowed to guess in any way I choose?"

Katara reddened, "Yes, I suppose you are."

"Let's go get you that hot chocolate."

Katara and Zuko put their coats on and left her apartment, not bothering to clean up their books, they would only return to finish studying.

On their way to the coffee shop, Zuko turned to Katara. "We should watch a movie."

"We don't have time, Zuko, finals start tomorrow."

"Katara, we've been studying for _days_, we can spare two hours for a movie and cuddly time."

Katara giggled. "'Cuddly time'? Is cuddling really what you're after?"

Zuko smiled. "Yes, actually, that is what I'm after. It's been awhile since we've just held each other close. Don't you miss it?"

"Zuko…I, we, Zuko…"

Zuko ran a hand through his hair. "Never mind, forget I said anything, let's just get you that hot chocolate."

Katara was silent the whole way to the coffee shop, thinking about Zuko's request. She really did miss him holding her. Her body always fit so perfectly inside his strong arms, her head came level to his chest, and she could always hear his heart thumping against her ear. Just the thought of cuddling against him made her core ache; but this was dangerous ground. Cuddling always felt so intimate, it could complicate things.

Zuko reached the counter and ordered a hot ginseng tea, a hot chocolate, and two blueberry muffins. He turned to ask if Katara wanted anything else and caught her staring at him speculatively. He knew that look; she wore it anytime she was trying to make a difficult decision. Decisions that caused that look also tended to cause her to have an upset stomach and tears. Turning back to the cashier and telling her that completed the order; he led Katara over to a solitary booth in the corner.

"Seriously, Katara, forget it. It was out of line of me to ask. Don't worry about it."

Katara looked down at her hands. "I do miss it," she said quietly. "I miss it so much that it hurts sometimes."

Zuko closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry I brought it up; please don't do this to yourself."

Katara looked up at him with strong resolve. "No, I want to do this. One movie."

"Katara…"

"Zuko," she grinned wickedly, "You asked for this. Be careful what you wish for."

Zuko searched her face for any reservations, when he saw her carefree expression, he grinned as well. "And, I still get that kiss."

"Well of course, I'm a woman of my word."

They smiled at each other until the waitress brought their drinks and muffins.

ZZ

When they returned to Katara's apartment, Zuko walked over to the large stack of DVDs Katara and Suki had underneath the TV on the wall.

"Hunger Games?"

"That's not a cuddling kind of movie," Katara giggled. "Let's watch a chick flick."

Zuko groaned good naturedly but chose a romantic comedy and popped it in the DVD player. He walked over to the couch where Katara was lounging and picked her up, sliding onto the couch behind her. He pulled the blanket off the nearby recliner and wrapped it around them. Katara snuggled deep into his arms, her head pressing lightly against his chest, her hair rubbing his chin. He pulled her close and wrapped a leg around hers, making sure every line of their bodies were touching. As the movie started, Zuko inhaled and smelled her hair, his chest expanding with love.

Because the two had been studying for several hours that day, they were exhausted, and halfway through the movie, they fell asleep.

Suki walked in a few hours later and saw the lovers entwined on the couch, the TV playing the menu for a chick flick. She shook her head and sighed. For two people that insist on staying apart, they sure end up together a lot, she thought to herself.


	10. Revelations

Same disclaimer as always.

ZZZ

"Hey, is Zuko single?"

Katara tensed and looked at the raven haired girl. "Last I heard he was."

"Do you like him? The two of you are always together."

"Oh, um, well, we just know each other really well, we're really close."

"But you aren't dating?"

"No, we aren't…dating."

The girl looked at Katara thoughtfully. "Mind if I ask him out?"

Katara plastered a smile on her face and nodded. "Of course not, I'm sure he'd like that."

"Thanks, Katara."

"No problem, Mai."

ZZ

When Katara parked her car at her apartment, Zuko was leaning against her apartment door, scowling. Katara got out of her car and grabbed her backpack.

"Hey," she called to him.

He nodded in her direction.

"What's wrong?"

"Mai asked me out today."

Katara tensed slightly, and then tried to smile. "Cool, she's hot."

Zuko clenched his fists. "She told me you told her to ask me out."

"I didn-"

"_Why_ would you tell her to ask me out?"

"Zuko, I did-"

"You know, when we woke up on your couch this morning, I was worried you'd freak out on me. I mean, we essentially spent the whole night together, something we haven't done in _years._ But you were relatively cool about it. You didn't seem to think it was a big deal. And I thought, that maybe, just maybe, we would be able to reach a point of understanding where it wasn't weird between us anymore." He walked to her and grabbed her hands in his. "I thought that maybe we could get to a point where I could do something like this and it not cause you to panic and overthink something. I want, more than anything, for us to be able to be as close as we once were. And I want to be able to know that I am _not_ holding you back. I want – "

But what Zuko wanted, Katara never found out. She had thrown her arms around his neck and kissed him so fiercely that Zuko was rocked back against Katara's apartment door. Zuko was temporarily stunned but he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her as close to him as possible returning her kiss with equal passion. For several minutes they stayed like that, lips fighting for dominance, each trying to say as much as they possibly with their lips. When they pulled apart, gasping for air, Zuko placed his forehead against Katara's.

"I, I never told her to ask you out," Katara said breathlessly. "She asked me if I minded, and I said no."

"Stupid, stupid girl, why would you say that?"

"What was I supposed to say? No, you can't date him? I'm not dating him, but you still can't?"

"Anything would have been better than telling her you didn't mind. Do you realize how I felt? When she told me you told her to ask me out? I felt pathetic, and rejected, and ignored. Katara, I felt – "

And her lips were on his again.

"Stop that, stop that right now. I was trying to not be a jealous ex-girlfriend; I was trying to enable you to do what you want to do outside of us, whatever we are."

"I don't _want_ to do something outside of us. How could you think that?" He swept a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I want you, and only you. I am trying so hard to do the right thing here. I am trying to set _you _free. I don't want to be the reason why you don't become the psychologist you've always dreamed of becoming. I almost prevented you from coming to Omashu, do you really think I want to be the reason you don't go to grad school?"

And once more, Katara was kissing him fiercely.

"You stupid, stupid boy," she snapped, turning his words back on him. "I _want_ you. I _chose_ you. Stop using that excuse of not wanting to hold me back. I never asked you to do that for me. What I do with my future is _my_ choice, and if I choose to stay with you, that is my decision. Do you understand me?"

Zuko closed his eyes. "I am just trying to do right by you. I don't want you to ever regret choosing to stay with me. I don't want you to resent us."

"Zuko, if I have you, how can I resent us?"

"You've wanted to be a psychologist ever since your mother died. You've wanted to create a world where people struggling with depression can find solace. I don't want to detract from that. If I prevented you from realizing your dream, I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

Katara grabbed Zuko's face in her hands. "I love you, Zuko of the Fire Nation. And I love that you want me to succeed and realize my dream. I love that you want me to reach my potential and that you are willing to do anything to get me there. But I need you to listen to me real closely. I will become a psychologist, no matter what the situation. I _have_ been dreaming about this since I was little, and nothing, nothing will prevent me from that. You could never, ever, do _anything_ that could keep me from that. And I know that you wouldn't try. You don't have to try and make sure that I reach that dream, you supporting me is more than enough. I just need you here, by my side. I need you to hold me when I'm stressed out; I need you to allow me to stay up late studying. I need you to accept the fact that I will talk nothing but psychology for days on end; I need you to kiss me when I get too distracted. I need you to love me, Zuko, not make me successful. I will take care of that part. You aren't holding me back; you're being there with me. That's what I need you to do. I don't need you to stay away from me. Do you understand? Do you get it now?"

Now it was Zuko's turn to shock Katara with a kiss. He spun them around, pushing her against her apartment door, and kissed her roughly and deeply. His right hand twisted in her hair and his left arm snaked around her waist. She groaned into his mouth when he pulled her lower lip in between his lips and chewed on it. Her scent fogged his head and made him dizzy, the feel of her body against his being the only thing keeping him grounded.

In between kisses he reached into her pocket and grabbed her keys, opening her door and pushing her inside her apartment, slamming the door behind them. He led them to her bedroom and they fell onto the bed entangled.

"I love you, Katara, and yes, I can do that. I can do this for you." And breathlessly he was kissing her again. She responded with no reservations, matching his strength and passion with her own.

ZZ

Several hours later they were lying on her bed underneath her blankets. Katara's head was on his chest and he was holding her hand in his, drawing patterns in her palm with his thumb.

"Zuko?"

"Hmm?"

"You want to be with me right?"

Zuko inhaled sharply and sat them up, facing her. "Do you even have to ask me that? After everything we just did?"

"I just want to make sure. I don't want to be holding you back."

Zuko pulled her into his arms. "You, my love, are my dream. This whole time, I've been trying to do the honorable thing for you. I can become an architect anywhere, but I want you to go to the best school possible. I will follow you."

"I don't need to go to the best school possible. I don't need you to follow me. I just need you to support me. We can go anywhere together. We can make these decisions together. But you will be and architect, and I will be a psychologist, and we will be together."

He reached down and linked their hands together. "Together."

She kissed his temple. "At last."

"Give me a minute," he said. He got up, wrapped a sheet around his waist and walked over to where his pants were. He pulled out a box with a ring inside of it. He returned to her and lifted the box.

"You've had it on you all this time?"

"I knew that one day I would be putting it back on your finger, Katara, I never gave up on us."

She closed the box. "I want to do this right, Zuko. I don't want us to rush, we have the rest of our lives. Let's just start with being together. No saying yes to Mai," she grinned.

"Oh, yeah, I should call her."  
"What?!"

He chuckled and kissed her. "I'm kidding, Tara, I already said no. Now lay back down."

They curled around each other again, and fell asleep with their arms around each other, happy with their new decisions.


	11. Just Friends

Hey guys, sorry I haven't written in forever. My laptop broke down and died. And I found Doctor Who. So, one bad thing and one good thing. Anyway, away with the drabble. Inspired by a little experience I had this weekend.

ZZ

"Okay, when you take the exit, you're going to stay on the left, because it'll fork. At the light, you'll take a left. When you get over the bridge, the bridge will fork, take the right."

"Is that it?"

"Yeah, it's kind of complicated, so I thought I would stay on the phone with you while you did it."

"I'm perfectly capable of making that by myself."

"Oh, okay."

"If I need your assistance, I'll call you back."

"Okay, see you soon."

"See you." Katara hung up the phone and continued driving. She exited the freeway and followed Zuko's instructions, entering the gas station parking lot they had agreed to meet at. When she parked her car, she texted him, telling him she was there.

He appeared at her car a moment later.

"Hey,"

"Hey."

They hadn't seen each other in two years. She quickly crossed the five feet between them and hugged him tight, her head level with his chest. He responded by pulling her close, sniffing her hair.

"I live 15-20 minutes northwest of here. I'll drive my car over here so you can see it and follow."

"Kay."

Z

20 minutes later they pulled up to his apartment. After a quick tour, they popped in a movie and sat on the couch. Zuko kept offering Katara refreshments – cheesecake, soda, water – but Katara, nervous, kept declining and biting her lip. Zuko couldn't help staring her teeth against her luscious lower lip, he had tasted that lip and knew of its addictive taste, a taste he desperately wanted to relive.

As the movie progressed, the young adults chatted back and forth. Different things they had forgotten to mention or ask during their timid first text messages in over two years. Zuko's dog kept licking Katara, further her further away from the edge of the couch and closer to Zuko.

He could tell she was nervous. It was in the way she hugged her knees, kept looking at her phone, kept chewing on her lower lip. It was the way she would glance away when he tried staring into her eyes. Zuko knew she felt the tension between them, the air around them charged with the tension of forbidden actions and ignored questions.

"I've missed the way you smell," he said quietly.

She looked down at his dog and didn't respond.

She moved slightly closer, rubbing her arm against his shoulder. He wanted to pull her into an embrace.

He didn't.

When the movie ended, they walked to the door. As she put her shoes back on, they chatted. As he put his on, she waited leaning against the door. He looked down at her, slightly between him and a door, her lower lip between her teeth. She was looking up at him from beneath her eyelashes.

Agni, he would lose it right there if he didn't kiss her.

"I want a kiss," he murmured.

"Why?"

"Because it's been awhile."

They were silent. She stared straight into his eyes, chewing her lower lip. He glanced at her perfect mouth and nearly groaned.

"Well?" she breathed.

"Can I have one?"

More silence, but the pause was shorter this time.

"Yeah."

He placed a hand above her head on the wall and leaned his face down to hers, his lips touching hers lightly, once, twice, thrice, four times. Each time he grew bolder, rubbing his nose along the length of hers, pulling at her lower lip with hers. It was all he could not to run his tongue along it, to relive the taste of it.

He pulled away and looked down at her again, she looked a little dazed.

"That was three."

"I thought it was four."

"Still more than one."

He nodded, she was right after all.

He walked her to her car.

"I'll lead you back to the freeway."

"Kay."

She pulled him into a hug, one longer than the last. He held her tight and breathed her scent in again; afraid he wouldn't get another chance to for a while.

And when she released him and looked up at him from beneath her eyelashes, he lowered his face to hers again and kissed her twice more. He leaned his forehead against hers and heard her sharp intake of breath.

"Are you okay?"

"…yeah. You?"

"Yeah," he responded.

But neither of them were. Their heads were spinning, they were trying to keep control. They were supposed to be friends. Kissing wasn't friendship, kissing was dangerous.

"Come back soon," he said.

She nodded.

ZZZ

Yeah, that happened. Remember, these drabbles are not necessarily connected. In the previous drabble, they got together, but in this one, they are just friends. Or, they're at least trying to be. I'll try to update more frequently now that I have a new laptop. =)


	12. Coffee Date

Hey y'all, here is another drabble. I dreamed it last night. Enjoy.

I own nothing.

ZZ

Katara parked her car outside of the coffee shop next to the car she now knew to be Zuko's. She got out of the car, took a deep breath, and entered the coffee shop attempting to stem her nerves. This was the second time they were seeing each other in over two years, and last time they did, they'd kissed. Katara knew she had to talk to him about that today. If they were going to be friends, they couldn't be kissing.

Catching his eye, she walked over to the little table he had procured in the corner. He was already sipping a venti coffee.

"Nice corner," she smirked.

"I want to make sure nothing happens when you're with me."

A small blush rose to Katara's cheeks. Of course he didn't. During their entire relationship, whenever they went somewhere, Zuko was always keenly aware of their surroundings. When they sat somewhere, it was always in the corner where he could see the entire establishment. Zuko always made her feel both safe and paranoid.

"Would you like to get your coffee? My tab is open if you would like to use mine."

"Oh, um, thanks."

Katara walked over to the counter and ordered her grande tea.

When she returned, the two sat in silence for a few moments, sipping the drinks.

"I missed you," he said suddenly.

"Why is that?"

"I was away from you so soon after seeing you."

She shrugged. "Your friend was getting married, he wanted you there, it couldn't be helped."

"I wanted you there."

"I had to work and prepare for school."

"How was your first day back?"

"Really good, I think I'm going to enjoy this semester. But I'll be really busy."

"Then I should spend as much time with you as I can now."

She nodded, not making eye contact.

"What's wrong?"

Katara opened her mouth, with every intention of bringing up the kiss, but when she looked into his golden eyes, she couldn't bring herself to say it. "Give me your hand," she said instead.

He placed his hand in hers. She laid his hand in one of hers, and stroked the fingers of her other hand against his palm and over his fingers, re-memorizing the small scars he had on his fingers and knuckles. She moved her slim fingers up to his wrist, tracing the veins there. Up his forearm she stroked, and then back down to his scarred fingers.

Zuko watched this beautiful brown-skinned girl stroking his hand like she used to do. She was chewing her lower lip and her eyebrows were stitched in concentration. It took everything he had not to wrap his strong big hand around her smaller hand and pull her into his lap to kiss away the concentration. He had no idea why his scars were so fascinating to her, but he didn't like her knowing all the physical pain he had gone under. But she wanted to touch him, and he was going to let her.

Several minutes went by before Katara, satisfied, relinquished his hand and grinned at him embarrassed. When she saw the look on his face, she was startled. His eyes were shining with love, desire, and _need_. Katara felt familiar tightness coiling in her core and quickly looked away again. If there was ever a time to reiterate friendship with this man, it was now.

"Zuko," she started. "We should remember we're friends now."

"I know," he responded. "It's the only thing keeping me from dragging you to my car right now."

She inhaled sharply at the implication. "You were always the best at dragging."

He chuckled. "I can remind you just how good at it I am if you wish."

Red colored Katara's cheeks. "Zuko…"

"I know."

She looked at him and saw him visibly restraining himself.

"Maybe I should go," she said making to stand.

"No!" he caught her wrist and pulled her back down. "No, I can, keep these feelings to myself. Let's just talk. I want to get to know you again. So we can be friends. Just friends."

She nodded and sat again.

They talked for hours.

ZZ

Sorry it's so short. Hopefully in a few days I'll have new material. =)


	13. Catch My Breath

Hey guys, here is another drabble. This one will probably not make you happy but I wanna get it out of my head.

I own nothing.

ZZ

Katara awoke at the sound of the train. She shifted to turn but was pinned between Zuko's strong arms, pulled completely against his body. Sighing softly she nuzzled deeper against his chest and thought about the night before. She had come over to spend a night drinking with her friend. She was supposed to sleep in the guest room, but now she woke up in his bed. She turned slightly to where she could see him, still sleeping deeply.

It had been late, and they hadn't drank that much, but Katara was warm, and decided to change into her bed clothes. That was mistake number one. Deep down she knew he would be attracted to her bed clothes; a T-shirt too big for her, red boxer shorts much too short for her, and black knee-high stockings.

She walked out of the guest room and across the living room, picking up her margarita daintily, knowing his eyes were on her every move. When she came to sit next to him on the couch, she purposefully sat too far away from him, causing him to shift nearer to her. She propped her legs on his lap, knowing full well it would tempt him to touch her, but she had made him promise not to touch her unless invited.

So he stared. He kept glancing at her face and letting his eyes drift down her body. She knew what he was thinking. Those eyes said it all. He still loved her, wanted her, needed her.

"What?" she finally asked.

"What, what?"

"What do you want?"

He turned his golden eyes on her. "I want to kiss you."

"That's not a good idea. We're supposed to be friends."

"I know."

"My stomach hurts," she said.

"Do you want Pepto Bismo? Antacid? Milk? Bread? Sprite?"

"No, I'm not sick. It hurts because I'm nervous."

"Why are you nervous?"

"Because I want you to kiss me."

"So how can we make the nerves go away?"

"I don't know." But she knew, and he knew she knew.

"I can kiss you. But I need permission."

And like she had a mere week before, she lost herself and gave him permission to kiss her.

If only it had stopped there, Katara thought groaning inwardly. But it hadn't.

Zuko kissed her once, twice, then several more times. Katara finally pulled away and feigned interest in the movies. Zuko stared at her contemplating until he remembered something. He reached for her hand and brought her long tanned fingers to his left ring finger. Using her fingers, he removed the ring he wore on that finger.

"What is it?" she asked.

"'What is it?' It's the ring you bought me for our anniversary. Look inside it."

On the inside were the words I love you. Katara sucked in her breath. This ring was over four years old.

"You've kept it?"

"I've gone back for it so many times, times when a lost ring should have been the last thing on my mind. I've lost every other ring I've ever owned except for that one."

Katara looked down at the ring and frowned. This wasn't how the night was supposed to go. Feelings and emotions weren't supposed to be present right now. She looked up at Zuko to tell him so, but he had that look in his eyes again.

That damn _look_ Katara swore to herself, lying in Zuko's arms the next morning. That look that made her melt over and over and over.

When Katara saw that look, she leaned up to him, and he met her, kissing her hard. For the second time that night, Katara's sense left her and she kissed him again. When they pulled away again, Zuko commented on her scent again.

"I've always missed the way you smell, but I never forgot. I never forgot you, Tara, ever. You have no idea how much your being here means to me."

She kissed him again to avoid replying.

Finally she got the courage to say it. "I've missed the way you used to make me feel so safe."

"Used to?"

"I haven't had that feeling in years."

"Do you have it now?"

Katara knew she should have said no. Katara knew her heart wasn't safe. She knew she was risking her heart again, her future. But when Zuko was around, she always felt so protected. He would keep anything from touching her. But he hurt her so much, so many times.

But he was here, now, and Katara allowed that to be the only thing that mattered right now.

"Yes," she said.

And he kissed her again.

As he peppered kisses down her face, Katara ventured into dangerous territory.  
"It's going to be so weird sleeping away from you tonight."

"You don't have to. I gave you the guest room as an option, I'd much rather have you in my room. If you want."

Katara looked him in the eyes. She wanted this, but it was wrong, so _so_ wrong. She bit her lip in contemplation, and Zuko growled. That growl tickled her core and Katara resisted the urge to sit in his lap.

"I want."

Katara attempted a facepalm, but was blocked by Zuko tightening his arms around her. Geez, was he always this hot? Katara wished she could move away from Zuko while she thought about the night's events, but knowing she would leave quickly after he awoke, she scooted closer to him.

Zuko led her to his room and popped the unwatched movie into the DVD player. He led her to his bed and kissed her again.

She attempted stop things again.

"We're terrible at being friends, you know."

"I know." - _kiss_  
"We shouldn't, we really ought not."

"I know." – _kiss_

"Stop."

"Yes, ma'm," and Zuko reluctantly pulled away.

"If we do this, it'll mean something to me."

"It'll mean something to me to."

"It'll mean I'm falling back in love with you."

"It'll mean I never stopped loving you."

Katara sighed again and looked at Zuko, still sleeping with his arms tight around her. Stupid boy making her dopamine levels all silly. Stupid love making her willing to do things she said she wouldn't do.

His eyes fluttered open.

"Morning," she said.

He grinned and pulled her even closer. "Mm, morning."

"Sleep well?"

"Yes, this bed felt so full last night. Full and happy. I want you in it always."

She looked away. "I don't think that's possible."

"I know, we still live too far apart. Though I could move closer."

"Maybe."

"You okay?"

Katara looked at him. She knew what she should say. That last night was a mistake. That it couldn't happen again. That they were just friends. That she had to go back to school. That when she graduated, she was leaving the state. That she didn't want him to come with her. That she wasn't herself when he was around. That she loved him still, and because of that, he was dangerous.

But could she? Could she say all of that?

"I have a meeting, in an hour. I should go."

"So soon?"

"I'm meeting with a professor about grad school."

"You can't reschedule?"

Katara knew she shouldn't, but he was so appealing. Bare-chested, hair tousled, pajama pants hanging loosely on his hips, lips swollen, eyes heavy-lidded. That small scar on his jaw caught the sunlight and sparked that feeling in her lower abdomen. Katara knew she shouldn't reschedule…but…

Three hours later they emerged from his bedroom for sustenance. He made her toast and eggs, and she watched him, wearing her bed clothes, but instead of her T-shirt and her boxers, she was wearing his.

When he finally walked her to her car and kissed her thoughtfully, reality finally hit her.

"Zuko, what happened last night…"

He stopped her with a kiss. "I know what you're gonna say. Break up with me tomorrow. Let me have tonight."

"We're not together for me to break up."

"You'll manage it, trust me."

"Tonight, then," she said.

"Thank you."

As Katara drove the 45 minutes to her apartment, she thought about having to say goodbye to her first love again. It wasn't fair that she had to do this all over again. She already sacrificed him once, and now he was back in her life all over again. It wasn't fair.

All she wanted this time was a friend. But when he was around, Katara couldn't think straight. Couldn't reason.

Couldn't catch her breath.

ZZ

Okay, hate me if you wish, I just really needed to get that out. I'll upload some Zutara fluff soon to mend all the broken hearts. =)


	14. She's crazy, I'm sane

Hey guys, here's that Zutara fluff I promised. =) It's from Zuko's perspective.

Same disclaimer as always.

ZZ

Katara is a fighter. She's feisty, loud, and idealistic. Katara is fearless. Absolutely fearless, almost to the point where she lacks self-preservation. She's positively mad.

One day we were at the movies. We were about to leave the theatre and I had to use the restroom. I left Katara alone for five minutes, five. When I came back to her, she was between a couple and the man – boy – had her by the collar and was drawing his fist back to hit her. I stopped the boy and threatened him within an inch of his life if he ever touched her again. Meanwhile Katara was escorting the girl to my car. According to Katara, the boy had been wailing on his girl, and _my_ girl, with no concern for her own safety, stepped in between of them, ready to take the punch that was meant for the girl. When I asked why she didn't wait for me to break it up, she said she would never sit back and watch another person get hurt. She's mad, I tell you.

Another time we were walking along the beach when I got an excruciating headache. I was nearly blind with pain. Katara wrapped my hands around her hips and yanked us to the ground so she could sit on me and rub my temples. Not realizing it was her, I pinned her to the ground and grabbed her by the neck. Now, Katara can get herself out of any hold, she's slippery like that, but she just let me and rubbed my temples anyway. For six weeks she had my finger marks on her throat. When I asked her why she didn't leave me, knowing I could have killed her, she dared me to ask her to leave me while I was in pain again. Well she's absolutely bonkers, so naturally I dropped the subject.

Old friends of mine came to take me away from the girl they thought corrupted me. They busted into our hotel room with guns drawn and pointed them at her, informing her they were taking me away. She looked them dead in the eye and proclaimed, "Over my dead body." She had no doubt in her mind they would shoot her. I jumped in front of her to save her, but she pushed me out of the way. I don't remember how we got out of that situation, but I remember her not backing down. She's terribly insane.

She's taught a class while she had the flu.

Gone to present a paper after fainting on a stairwell and having to be revived.

She's stayed up all night nursing a drunken friend to health and making sure they didn't succumb to alcohol poisoning even though she had the SAT the next day.

She's driven in the sketchy part of town by herself at night in order to find a friend who'd gone wandering while drunk.

Katara is clearly psychotic.

And I love her.

My girl is sweet, loving, passionate, and yes, psychotic. She has no regard for her wellbeing because she's too busy caring for others' wellbeing. It's amazing she's survived this long.

But I'm here now. I can pull her out of a fight she gets herself involved in. I can learn to recognize her presence when I'm in pain. I can fight with her instead of for her. I can nurse her to health when she's sick. I can sit shotgun when she goes driving to find her friends.

Katara is crazy enough to do it all on her own.

I'm sane enough to help her.


	15. Tortured Souls

Hey guys! Have you missed me? I've missed you! Here's an unrelated drabble just laying around in my headspace. This song was inspired by "It's all coming back to me now," by Lea Michele (I prefer her version)

ZZ

Katara walked along the stage, smiling and waving at the crowd as she reached the microphone.

"Hey guys! I didn't _really_ plan on singing tonight, I was here to enjoy my friend's concert, but since he-" she faux glares at her best friend Sokka, standing sheepishly off the side of her "alerted everyone to my presence, I suppose I shall sing." She smiled and paused as the crowd began cheering. "Thank you, thank you. Since I'm totally and utterly unprepared, what shall you have me sing?"

The crowd began throwing out random songs. One girl in particular yelled out a song and Katara stopped cold. Not because of the song the girl suggested, but because of whose arms the girl was wrapped in. She made eye contact with the golden-eyed, black haired boy of her dreams, the love of her life, the ex she couldn't get over. As she made eye contact with a frozen Zuko, Katara thoughtlessly agreed to the song the girl called out. And when the band began playing for her entrance, Katara froze again. The song was the song that represented her feelings about Zuko. It was a song she had sung to herself after their most recent illicit affair; even now, Katara felt the ghost of Zuko's lips on her hips, and his fingers in her hair.

Katara glanced down to the girl in his arms. That was her. Mai. The girl that Zuko had been dating for months. The girl that he cheated on with Katara, without telling Katara he was in a relationship until after.

And now he's brought her into Katara's café, where Katara sings regularly. Fine then, Katara thought to herself. If that's how he wants to play it, I'm game.

And so she steeled herself, grabbed the mic, and began to sing the song that broke her heart ten times over, in front of the boy who never ceased breaking her heart.

_There were nights when the wind was so cold,_

_That my body froze in bed if I just listened to it right outside the window._

_There were days when the sun was so cruel,_

_That all the tears turned to dust and I just knew they were drying up forever._

_I finished crying in the instant that you left, _

_And I can't remember where or when or how, _

_And I banished every memory you and I had ever made!_

Katara turned her steely gaze onto the boy's face and she noticed with pleasure that his jaw tightened.

_When you touch me like this,_

_When hold me like that,_

_I just have to admit that it's all coming back to me._

_When I touch you like this,_

_And you hold me like that,_

_It's so hard to believe but it's all coming back to me._

Katara stayed staring at Zuko, not allowing him to turn away. She saw Zuko draw Mai closer to his chest, but he kept eye contact with Katara. A flame ignited in Katara's chest. The raw pain of her broken heart swelled, but Katara gripped her mic harder and continued her song.

_It's all coming back, it's coming back to me now._

_There were moments of gold and there were flashes of light,_

_There were things I'd never do again but then they'd always seemed right._

_There were nights of endless pleasure,_

_It was more than any laws allowed._

_Baby, baby_

_If I kiss you like this,_

_And if you whisper like that,_

_It was lost long ago but it's all coming back to me_

_If you want me like this,_

_And if you need me like that, _

_It was dead long ago but it's all coming back to me_

_It's so hard to resist and it's all coming back to me,_

_I can barely recall but it's all coming back to me now._

_But it's all coming back_

As Katara sang, she let her voice soar, the way she knew he liked it; the way she knew he couldn't resist it. And she saw it, in his eyes, his reaction to her voice. But she could tell it wasn't just her voice he was reacting to, but to the pain he could feel in her song. In his eyes, she saw him stroking her side with his long fingers, she saw him kissing along her jawline and into her hair. She saw him lifting her onto his marble countertop the morning after so he could lean over and kiss her while he cooked her eggs on the stove. Katara saw the memories of their tryst hitting him like a ton of bricks, and she knew she could stop the torture by changing the amount of emotion she put in her song.

But she wouldn't. He brought his girlfriend to her café. He made a cheater out of Katara. And he would suffer.

_But you were history with the slamming of the door,_

_And I made myself so strong again somehow_

And Katara replaced her mournful gaze with her steely one again. She wanted to rub in her independence of Zuko.

_And I never wasted any of my time on you since then._

Katara allowed her face to soften again.

_But if I touch you like this,_

_And if you kiss me like that,_

_It was so long ago but it's all coming back to me._

_If you touch me like this,_

_And if I kiss you like that,_

_It was gone with the wind, but it's all coming back to me._

_It's all coming back, it's all coming back to me now_

_There were moments of gold and there were flashes of light,_

_There were things I'd never do again but then they'd always seemed right._

_There were nights of endless pleasure,_

_It was more than all your laws allowed,_

_Baby, baby, baby_

_When you touch me like this,_

_And when you hold me like that,_

_It was gone with the wind, but it's all coming back to me._

_When you see me like this,_

_And when I see you like that,_

_Then we see what we want to see, all coming back to me,_

_The flesh and the fantasies, all coming back to me,_

_I can barely recall but it's all coming back to me now._

Zuko stepped back from Mai like he'd been shocked. As Katara, his Katara, wailed into her microphone, he felt all the pain he had ever caused her. As her voice rang out over the speakers, he remembered the feel of her lips on his neck, the feel of her small hands around his waist, the scent of her chocolate hair draped across the skin of his chest, the taste of her skin beneath his tongue. He remembered it all, and he wanted it desperately. The weight of his stupid mistakes and stupid decisions threatened to smother him, and he stepped around Mai, the girl he had stupidly chosen over the angel on stage, and began inching towards stage, where his love sang into her mic as tears began falling down her lovely cheeks.

_If you forgive me all this,_

_If I forgive you all that,_

_We forgive and forget, and it's all coming back to me,_

_Now. . . _

_And if we. . . _

Katara ended her song as Zuko reached her onstage. He didn't notice the crowd waiting with baited breath for Katara's reaction. He didn't notice Mai slinking out the door in tears. All he saw was Katara, and her tears falling silently. He could only hope that she would take him back despite his being the biggest idiot on the planet. But she had to take him back, right? She couldn't sing that song about them; she couldn't sing it like _that _and not feel the same for him. She was going to take him back. And he would spend the rest of their lives making up to her for all of his cowardice and idiocy. And for one shining moment, Zuko felt confident that he would grow old beside his lovely girl, his beautiful soulmate.

Zuko reached out his hand to her, hoping she'd accept it, or crash into his arms. But Katara hid behind her long dark hair, stared at his outreached hand for what seemed like an eternity, and then she turned around and fled backstage. Zuko stood there stunned. He heard a buzzing in his ears, but he wasn't sure where it was coming from. It didn't matter. His whole world had just been taken out from around him. There was nothing anymore. Just that really annoying buzzing sound that seemed to grow louder every minute.

And then Zuko felt a pounding on his back. He turned to Sokka, still dazed, but then the world cleared, and he heard what he had mistaken for buzzing. It was the crowd, yelling for him to follow her.

He couldn't decide if he should or not. It didn't seem like a good idea.

Backstage, Katara was sitting on the floor weeping silently. She'd expected him to follow her, but he hadn't.

Just like he never did. And then, Katara knew, that he never would. Zuko was a coward, and the sooner she accepted that, the better.

_If you forgive me all this,_

_And I forgive you all that. . ._

_We forgive and forget, and it's all coming back to me_

_Now. . . _

Katara sang softly to herself, but Zuko still didn't show. And so, Katara stood up, brushed off the back of her jeans, and made herself stop crying. And, banishing the thought of him from her mind, she walked out of the door, leaving the little café.

Just as Zuko rounded the corner backstage.

ZZ

Hmm… well that escalated quickly.

Sorry! I'll work on some fluff to make up for it later!

-Romania


	16. Soulmates

Hey guys! Here's a fluff piece entitled soulmates. It's basically Katara and Zuko as platonic soul mates, so not romantic, but platonic soulmates are nice too, right? =D

ZZ

He walked out of his job at 11:45PM, after helping his manager clean out all of the ovens and grills. He was tired, hungry, and smelly and he had zero desire to do anything other than climb into his car and drive home. He was trying to figure out the logistics of eating in the shower or in bed when he arrived to his car where he saw his best friend of eight years leaning casually against his door. She was wearing dark skinny jeans, a bright red shirt, and the highest black boots he'd ever seen a girl wear. Zuko was still exhausted but he now wanted nothing more than to pull his friend into a hug and keep her close for days.

"Katara," he breathed. It'd been weeks since they'd seen each other, she had been away on one of her mission trips with her monk-like boyfriend, and they'd only been able to skype once during the three weeks she was away.

"Zuko," she nodded, pulling out her phone and pushing away from the car. After dialing a number, she murmured into her phone softly and then closed it, quickly crossing the distance between them and pulling Zuko into an embrace. Zuko held her close and smelled her hair, inhaling the sweetness of _Katara. _

"It's so good to see you again," Zuko spoke into her hair.

"And you," she replied. He released her and she grinned at him in anticipation, "And do you know what's going to happen in three days?"

Zuko pretended to think about it, feigning confusion, "No, whatever could you be referring to?"

Katara laughed and lightly punched his arm, "Your birthday, idiot! The big 21! Which means that for the next 72 hours, you belong to me."

Zuko grinned. He and Katara had been planning their 21st birthdays since they were 16 years old. For the three days leading up to the birthday – Zuko's and then Katara's – the birthday person would belong to their best friend who was in charge of planning the whole thing. On the actual birthday, the two would join the birthday person's family for dinner, cake, and whatever else the family had planned, but for two whole days, it would just be the best friends.

"Right, my birthday, the big birthday, how could I forget?"

"Beats me. I have it all planned out. Your mom is going to take your car home, and you're coming with me. We're driving straight to the city, we'll stay in a hotel for the night, and tomorrow the fun begins."

Zuko couldn't help but grin at the huge smile on Katara's face, if there was one thing Katara liked doing, it was planning his birthdays.

A few minutes later, Zuko's mom Ursa walked out from the restaurant next door to Zuko's that she managed. She caught the keys Zuko tossed to her and hugged both her son and practically daughter.

"You two text me when you get to the hotel, you hear?"

"Yes, mom," Katara replied.

Katara pushed Zuko into her car and smiled at his mother, "we'll be home Wednesday at 3PM."

"You're a good girl, Katara, keep him out of too much trouble. Have fun, kids."

"Thanks, mom!"

Katara climbed into her car and turned it on. Grinning at Zuko, she reversed out of the parking spot and headed out of the parking lot. "Ready?"

Zuko grinned, "Tired, but ready."

"Sleep on the way, we'll get to the hotel in about 2 hours."

Zuko nodded and closed his eyes, leaning against the headrest as he did so.

While Zuko slept, Katara thought about how they met over eight years ago. She had been a high school freshman and met a girl named Mai. Mai invited her to eat lunch with her little group in the orchestra room at school. When Katara arrived to the orchestra room, Zuko and another friend were discussing Zuko getting the friend and girl to go out on a date. Now, Katara wasn't usually a meddler, she hated meddling – most of the time – but when she overheard something so disastrous as someone meddling in another person's relationship, well she _had _to say something, right? And so Katara marched up to the two boys and without preamble, stated she disagreed with the decision for Zuko to ask out a girl for his friend and instead encouraged the friend to ask her out himself.

"She's more likely to appreciate it if you ask her outright than if –" she looked at Zuko expectantly.

"Zuko," he offered.

" – than if Zuko asks her out for you. Just a personal opinion," and then she turned away from them, waiting her new friend Mai to arrive.

"What's your name, new girl?" the boy named Zuko asked.

"Katara, my name's Katara," she replied.

"And you just so happen to know more about my friends than _I _do?"

"Your friends, maybe not, but clearly relationships. Relationships that start off from your own effort last longer than relationships that start off because so-and-so heard that so-and-so liked you."

Zuko appeared to think about this for a bit. "I see your reasoning, but what if you can't ask out someone because you're nervous?"

"You need to grow up and ask them. If you can't ask them on a simple date, how do you expect to be able to ask for what you need in the relationship? Nerves or no nerves, you _have_ to be able to step up to someone and say, 'I like you, and I'm willing to put myself out there for you to reject me, because I think you're worth the risk of being rejected for,'."

Zuko then stepped up to Katara, looking down at her from underneath his eyelashes. "I like your spunk, Katara, and I'm willing to put myself out there to be rejected by you."

Katara had faltered slightly and nodded unconsciously. Zuko grinned and turned to his friend. "She's right, Jet, look at her. Ask Yue out yourself."

And then Zuko turned on his heel and walked away from Katara, jumping lightly onto the grand piano in the middle of the room and laying across it, his feet dangling off the edge. Katara took a deep breath and tried to calm her heart that had started beating faster when Zuko had stepped into her personal space. He had smelled of ash and fresh soap, and heat had been radiating off of him like the embers after a fire. As she struggled to regain control of her thoughts, her new friend Mai walked into the room.

"Katara, you made it!" The tall girl smiled softly and then turned to Zuko, who had jumped off the piano at the sound of the girl's voice.

"Mai, baby, how are you?" Zuko smiled brightly and walked to Mai, kissing her lightly on the lips. A wave of disappointment washed through Katara, but she smiled just as brightly and joined the couple.

As more people filed into the room, Mai made introductions.

"Katara, this is Zuko, my boyfriend, this Jet, Aang, Sokka, Ty Lee, Azula, Toph, Suki, and Yue. Guys, this is Katara. She's a freshman too."

After a few "Hi, Kataras," Katara asked who else was a freshman.

"Sophomore," Zuko replied.

"Freshman," Toph, Aang, and Azula replied.

"Sophomore," said Sokka, Ty Lee, and Suki.

"Senior," said Jet and Yue, who made eye contact and blushed.

"Junior," ended Mai.

For the rest of Katara's freshman year, she and Zuko became timid friends. Usually it would be Zuko saying something and Katara disagreeing, after which Zuko would invade her personal space to demonstrate her own point to her and then agreeing with Katara. Katara had never been more uneasy to win arguments.

As the years progressed, Katara and Zuko lost a few friends, were in romantic relationships with other people, and lost romantic relationships with other people. Only they remained constant in each other's lives. Sometimes, it was their friendship that caused a relationship to end for one of them. Mai broke up with Zuko after he kept rushing to Katara's aid when she would get into fights with her father who showed up ordering Katara around after 15 years of never seeing her. In the eleventh grade Katara dated a guy from her math class who dumped her after hearing a rumor that Katara and Zuko had been dating secretly for two years. In the twelfth grade, Katara lost her sister in an auto accident, Zuko spent three months living in Katara's bedroom unbeknownst to either set of their parents. Three months into Katara's sophomore year, she had been assaulted by three members of the football team and was plagued with nightmares for a month afterward, only Zuko laying between her and the door of her bedroom made Katara feel safe enough to sleep. In the third year of the friendship, when Zuko was a senior, Zuko got rejected from his dream college; Katara sat up with him every night for two weeks helping him fill out applications to other schools. Both friends were particularly adept at bringing care packages to the other during times of stress containing tea, playing cards, CDs for favorite bands, and favorite candies. In the summer between Katara's junior and senior year, the two had taken a road trip to Omashu to stand up in Jet and Yue's wedding together. They spent four days alone in a hotel room. Things had never been sexual between them, or even romantic, but Katara and Zuko had a connection they had never experienced with another person, romantic or platonic. Zuko could sense when Katara was upset or stressed, even without seeing or hearing from her, he just knew. Katara could always feel when Zuko was angry, and emotion he experienced frequently as his father constantly told him he was useless and less than. Ever since Katara was 13 and Zuko was 14, they had been best friends.

Katara cringed as she reflected on a memory of one afternoon when yet another girlfriend of Zuko's had been threatened by his relationship with her. Katara had walked into Zuko's house – after having been given a key by Zuko and his mom – to find Zuko and his girlfriend arguing in his living room.

"You know what, Zuko? I can't." His girlfriend glared at Katara as she walked in.

"Bad time?" Katara asked softly.

"Not at all," Zuko smiled at her. "What's up?"

"Not much, I just thought we could go see this movie at the theatre. It starts in half an hour. We could go another time, though, if you're busy."

"No, no, we can go ahead and go. Wait for me upstairs? I'll have to change."

"Sure." Katara walked up the stairs, passing his silent and glaring girlfriend on the way out of the living room.

"Seriously?" she heard the girl seethe. "I practically _beg_ you to watch this movie with me, and you refuse. She walks in here, unannounced, and asks once and all of a sudden it's 'oh let me go change'?!"

"It's not like what you think," Katara heard Zuko respond warily. "She's my best friend. We've been best friends for years. She's not forcing me to watch some chick flick."

"I'm your _girlfriend,_ you can see one Agni-forsaken romantic comedy for me."

"Jun, please."

"No, Zuko, no. She will always come between us, won't she? It's always going to be you and Katara."

"You're overreacting. Katara and I are just friends, best friends. We've never dated, we've never slept together, we've never even kissed."

"Overreacting? Really? Where were you last Saturday afternoon?"

"At Katara's choir competition."

"It was my birthday party, my own date stood me up."

"Oh crap, I'm so sorry, Jun."

"Two weeks ago, when you were supposed to meet my family, remind me why you couldn't make dinner?"

"Katara had an academic team meet and I said I'd go to that."

"A month ago, when we were supposed to attend the midnight premiere of the Hunger Games, where were you?"

"Watching it with Katara…"

"Two days ago, when I was sick and wanted chicken soup, why couldn't you bring me any?"

"I was taking Katara painkillers for her cramps…"

"Do you see? Do you see how whenever Katara and I both need something, she gets it instead of me? I can't do this anymore. I can't sit back and watch Katara get you instead of me, over and over. Sure, she's nice, and she likes me, and she tries to include me, but that's not her _job._ It's yours, as my boyfriend, you should choose me over her, not all the time, but sometimes. You make me feel like the friend instead of the girlfriend. You put her above everyone else, and that's fine, I believe you when you say she's your best friend and you two aren't involved, but the way you treat me, we may as well not be involved either."

"Jun…I'm sorry, I don't know what to say."

"Can you say that you'll start putting me first? Can you tell me that when we both call you, you'll come to me instead?"

Katara listened with bated breath, she always hated when Zuko lost a girlfriend, especially when they blamed his and Katara's friendship. She always worried that one of these days, Zuko would tell Katara their friendship was over, that he was tired of losing girlfriends over her.

Finally, after several seconds, Zuko spoke. "I cannot," he said so softly Katara almost missed it.

"Cannot, or will not?"

"Both."

"Alright then, then I suppose I should go, so you can go enjoy your movie with _her._" Katara heard the sneer in the pronoun, and she knew it was pain that caused the girl to sound so angry. As Zuko bounded up the steps, Katara fought back tears. Today's break-up brought the number of broken relationships caused by their friendship to an even eight, five from Zuko and three from Katara.

"I'm sorry, Zuko," Katara offered.

Zuko just shook his head and pulled off his shirt, throwing it onto his bed as he walked into his room. Katara followed silently and perched lightly on the edge of his bed as Zuko looked in his dresser for a clean shirt and pair of pants. As Zuko dressed, Katara stared off into his ceiling, laying back onto his pillows. For a second, she was lost in his scent surrounding her, the scent that always managed to calm her. A few minutes later, Zuko threw himself against his bed, laying next to his best friend. She turned towards him and he smiled at her.

"So I lost another one, whatever. Whoever I date and eventually marry is going to have to love you just as much as I do. You're my best friend, Katara, and whoever enters my life is going to have to respect that."

"You could afford to put girlfriends ahead of me sometimes," she replied.

Zuko grabbed Katara's hand and laced their fingers together. "Maybe," he said. "Maybe not."

When Katara tugged her hand from his, he gripped her harder and added, "But I'll try to measure the needs by you and the girl, but if your need is greater, you know who I'm choosing."

Katara thought about it, "Alright. I just hate feeling responsible for girls dumping you. I'm afraid one day you'll get tired of me causing you to lose girlfriends and you'll break up with me."

"Do you blame me when your relationships don't work out?"

"Of course not."

"Then why would you think I would blame you?"

"I don't know."

"I don't blame you in the slightest. Like I said, whomever I marry is going to have to love you like I love you. You've been in my life for five years, and I don't ever intend on letting you go, got that?"

"You know, we do sometimes sound married."

"So? We're like Turk and J.D."

"Okay, but I'm Turk."

Zuko laughed and nodded. "Fine. Come on, Turk."

Katara smiled at the sleeping man next to her as she exited the freeway and pulled into the hotel they were going to stay at.

"Wake up, J.D., we're here."


End file.
